The plethora of runes added toWorld of Warcraft: Classic during its Season of Discoveryall have new and intriguing ways of obtaining them. The methods of obtaining these ability-granting items include: finding hidden treasures, killing unique monsters, and performing obscure rituals. Additionally, some runes can be discovered through doing covert favors for NPCs, or even completing secret quests.

Unlike some other rune-rewarding quests, the Dark Rider questline is not class specific, nor does it reward only one or two certain runes. The final quest of this line awards a rune specific to the class of the character that completes it.

a tauren hunter with her character menu open, with the cursor hovering over the melee specialist rune with its description visible

The Rune Rewards

Each class can add a powerful rune to their collectionsby completing the quests tied to the Dark Riders. Depending on your character’s build, some of these runes can be a must-have for your adventures.

Druid

King of the Jungle Rune

Engraves your boots with theTiger’s Fury-enhancing ability King of the Jungle

Hunter

Melee Specialist Rune

Engraves your belt with theRaptor Strike and Mongoose Bite-altering ability Melee Specialist

Engraves your belt with theArcane Missiles-enhancing ability Missile Barrage

a human dalaran agent at ariden’s camp in the deadwind pass

Engraves your belt with theHoly Shock-enhancing ability Infusion of Light

Priest

Spirit of the Redeemer Rune

Engraves your boots with theSpirit of Redemption-altering ability Spirit of the Redeemer

Engraves your boots with theAmbush and Backstab-enhancing ability Waylay

ariden’s camp and its location circled in orange on the map of deadwind pass

Engraves your chest-piece with thetwo-handed weapon-enhancing ability Two-Handed Mastery

Engraves your boots with thedemonic bond-enhancing ability Demonic Knowledge

an undead warlock in raven hill cemetery in duskwood, affected with the dark presence buff, that is moused over by the cursor in the top right of the screen

Engraves your belt with theSlam-altering ability Precision Timing

Where To Start The Dark Riders Quests

In order to find the Dark Riders and obtain your precious runes, you first need to travel to the place of their inception:Deadwind Pass in the Eastern Kingdoms.

The tower looming in the south of this zone, Karazhan, was where these former con-artist salesmen were cursed into their current state by Medivh, the last Guardian of Tirisfal. Suitably, the quests that send you to seek them outbegin in the abandoned camp of their leader, Ariden’s Camp.

a pair of orc warriors fighting a dark rider atop his horse by a pond in deadwind pass

Ariden’s Camp is found at the back of a crag in the northeast corner of Deadwind Pass, just north of the road running through the zone. The entrance to this crag has direct access to said road, and the crag itself is short and free of any hostile mobs.

Once you reach this abandoned camp, you will find a friendly human mage NPC investigating the site.This Dalaran Agentwill lament the theft of certain Dalaran Relics from the Kirin Tor’s magical city by the Dark Riders, and will ask you if you’d like to help her recover these artifacts.

dark rider location on the map of arathi highlands, circled in orange

If you agree to her offer through her dialogue options, she will give you the Ariden’s Sigil trinket,

which will allow you to find and confront the Dark Riders.

dark rider location on the map of the badlands, circled in orange

There are seven Dark Riders to find, and seven Dalaran Relics to retrieve from them. They are scattered across both the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.

How To Use Ariden’s Sigil

While the Dalaran Agent doesn’t offer any official quests concerning the Dark Riders, she does say that they have dispersed across Azeroth, and that they normally will only be seen if they wish to be. Luckily, the trinket she gives you,Ariden’s Sigil, will force the Dark Riders to reveal themselves and become attackable when you use it.

All the Dark Riders are level 41 elite mobs, so bring a friend or two on your journey, or be several levels higher than them.

dark rider location on the map of deadwind pass, circled in orange

At each location where a Dark Rider lurks, they will be invisible. You will only know that they are present by two subtle phenomena occurring if you have Ariden’s Sigil equipped. First, agreenish-purplish ghostly face will flash above your character’s head.

Second, abuff will appear in the top right of your screen called Dark Presence. If you encounter these, use Ariden’s Sigil to pull the lurking Rider out of hiding, and be prepared to fight.

dark rider location on the map of duskwood, circled in orange

The Dark Rider of the Badlands wanderseast of the Valley

Deadwind Pass Dark Rider

The Dark Rider of Deadwind Pass wanders onthe shore of

the pond at the northern end of the river running through

dark rider location on the map of swamp of sorrows, circled in orange

The Dark Rider of Duskwoodwanders the southeast corner

The Dark Rider of the Swamp of Sorrowswanders north of

the Pool of Tears andsoutheast of Fallow Sanctuary.

The Barrens Dark Rider

The Dark Rider of the Barrenswanders east of the Lushwater Oasisandsouth of The Crossroads, on the eastern side of

in-between the road leading to the Stonetalon Mountains and

the road leading to Sargeron.

The Dalaran Relics

With each Dark Rider dropping a different Dalaran Relic, we thought that a list of which Rider drops which Relic would be helpful in tracking which ones you need, should you split your journey up into different play sessions.

Dropped by the Dark Rider of the Barrens

Dropped by the Dark Rider of the Swamp of Sorrows

Dropped by the Dark Rider of the Badlands

Whirring Dalaran Relic

Dropped by the Dark Rider of Arathi Highlands

While none of these relics start a quest to bring them back to the Dalaran Agent in Deadwind Pass, upon bringing them to her, she will offer seven versions of the “Curious Dalaran Relic” hand-in quest.

Onceall sevenare handed over to her, she will then offerthe quest “A Service to Dalaran”. This quest is simply her showing you her thanks, as just talking to her completes it, awarding youone gold coin and a Supply Bag. Within this bag is yourrunic treasure.

You do not need to hand-in all of the Dalaran Relics at once. “A Service to Dalaran” only becomes acceptable once all seven are accounted for, however.